Vivo V9: The Best Selfie Smartphone available in its segment

We are in 2018 and it looks like the biggest trend in technology these days is the 18:9 ratio displays on a smartphone. Although, some companies have stepped up their game and launched mobiles with a 19:9 ratio display Mi Mix 2 was probably the first device in India to ship with a Bezel-less display followed by iPhone X and now some other players are also joining this legacy. Recently Vivo has unveiled its Vivo V9 handset and believe me it looks like an expensive piece of technology. The device all together is a good handset and offers a number of demanding features like Face Recognition, Bezel-Less display, Dual-Camera, Glass Design, etc. Here in this specific story, we will be putting light on the Camera performance of the handset, so if you are the one who was tired of searching different facts about the device then you are at the right place. So without wasting any time let’s jump to the dominant facts.

Camera Specs

In the rear department, it is backed by a 16MP+5MP Dual-Camera setup with Dual-LED Flash, Aperture f/2.0, PDAF(Phase Detection Auto Focus) and in the front a 24MP snapper with Screen Flash, Aperture f/2.0 is present.

Camera Interface

The Camera interface in Vivo V9 is simple and easy to use, we have previously seen similar interface on the V7 smartphone as well. When you will first open the Camera you will notice the modes present below. By stock the Camera opens in the phase of “Take Photo”, here you can capture the image. The top panel here houses the options including Flash on/off, HDR, Portrait mode, Live photo mode, Slo-Motion mode, DOC mode, Time-lapse mode, Ultra-HD mode and a Setting menu option. By swiping right and left on the screen you can go through further modes about which we will be discussing later. So in overall, there is nothing much typical to find, the Camera Interface in all looks solid.

Camera Modes

When it comes to chief Camera modes there are Take Photos, Video, AR Stickers, Face Beauty, Panorama, Professional mode. You may have used some of them previously on your existing smartphone. AR Stickers enable 3D characters to fit in the real world by using Augmented Reality. Face Beauty has its own algorithm with which it brings glow and softening to your face. Professional mode offers you the liberty to change ISO, Focus, Shutter Speed, Temperature manually again this mode is not available on every smartphone. The Camera modes here looks interesting and almost all modes that are widely used are present here. In the settings menu, some more options are available, like you can capture an image using your Voice, Palm gesture or just by touching the Screen. You can choose the aspect of photos as well: Square, Normal, Full. Watermark option is there enabling which will show a message “Captured in Vivo” on each shot.

Camera Performance

The Camera captures clear looking shots in daylight though at sometimes it makes the colors more saturated similar to Samsung devices. Again it depends on personal preference as some might praise punchy colors while some may not. The rear Camera has an Aperture of f/2.0 which allows the sensor to capture more light and results in brighter shots and great depth. We have tried capturing some macro shots as well and the camera focuses accurately on the subject by giving some bokeh in the background. In portrait mode as well the device did a good job of detecting edges which is the main concern when it comes to depth mode. As we mentioned above the colors are more on a richer side and details are retained well.

One of the biggest highlights is its selfie camera and here it captures great shots though some softening can be noticed which again depends on the personal preference. The 24MP camera with Aperture f/2.0, Screen Flash offers amazing details and we would say it won’t disappoint you in the Camera department. The portrait mode is offered via front camera as well and here it is software based compared to the rear camera. The portrait mode in the front does a pleasing job of detecting the edges and providing the bokeh in the background.

Video Recording

The device has the capability to record 4K footage from the rear camera but it lacks in stabilization department. The video taken out from the rear camera is good and offers rich color tones. Being a 24MP snapper it offers great sharpening and dynamic range, on the other hand, it can record 4K videos as well.

Final Verdict

According to us Vivo V9 is a great Camera centric smartphone and offers a great compelling camera hardware for the price. The biggest strength of this handset is that it can record 4K video from both front/rear Cameras which is hardly present on any smartphone. If you are looking for an inordinate selfie camera smartphone under the budget of 25K then you can buy it without a doubt. The handset is already on pre-orders for a price of 22,990 INR

He likes to play with the latest phones, gaming consoles, PCs, laptops, Cameras and when he gets some spare time he likes to do Vfx stuff. You can always find him playing with Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, etc. His current gear is OnePlus 6.